City of Glendale
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Water Bill Refund
x Glendale residents will be receiving a refund / credit on their water bill.
✔ In January of 2017, the Los Angeles Superior Court issued rulings in three cases pertaining to Glendale Water & Power rates:
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On January 24th, the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a ruling in the Coalition for Better Government’s challenge of the City’s water rates in the matter of Coalition for Better Government v. City of Glendale. The plaintiffs contend that the City’s water rates violate Proposition 218 (an initiative measure passed by the state’s voters in 1996) which requires water rates charged to customers be calculated in a manner to be proportionate to the cost actually incurred by the utility to deliver the water. Although the trial court ruled that the rates do not comply with these requirements, the City believes its water rate plan complies with these mandates and also encourages water conservation. The water rates were designed through a rigorous and detailed cost of services analysis vetted through expert consultants and legal counsel. The City intends to appeal the trial court’s ruling and pending the final outcome, the water rates will remain in effect.
The same court is also hearing elements of the General Fund Transfer case. The General fund pays for most of the traditional local government services that Glendale residents and businesses rely on – police, fire, libraries, parks, and administrative functions. Like most other independent cities, public safety – police and fire/paramedics – make up 2/3 of the General Fund.